


Safe and Sound

by levi_senpai



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Draco Malfoy Feels, Good Draco Malfoy, M/M, POV Harry, Post-War, Sappy, Sappy Ending, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 05:51:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8000899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/levi_senpai/pseuds/levi_senpai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Excerpt:<br/>"I um.. I was crying. I was scared. I'd thought the killing curse had already hit you. You were laying there, writhing in pain. I begged everything I knew to let you stay. Any higher being that existed. I begged you not to go." Malfoy coughed, clearing his throat a few times. He wouldn't look at Harry, again. And the flush of red across his cheeks wasn't exactly hidden. Harry didn't know what to say. He'd never heard Draco Malfoy beg for anything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Safe and Sound

Opening his eyes, Harry's retinas were instantly assaulted by a bright white light. Where in Merlin's beard was he? Sitting up slowly, Harry propped himself up on one palm, the other cupping over both his eyes as he winced.

"You're awake." A voice spoke from somewhere in the too bright room. The other person's voice was rough. Like they hadn't stopped crying in days. But Harry's mind still swam with confusion and questions, he couldn't recall the voice, where he was, or even how he had gotten here.

Harry's hand slowly slipped from over his eyes, careful this time not to blind himself. When they finally adjusted, he scanned the room. There was one large window, stark white curtains drawn back to let in the bright sunlight. Sunlight he wished would go away. He was in a bed, tucked under sheets that matched the curtains and smelled heavily of antiseptic. The floor was made up of tiles, so clean Harry swore he could see his reflection. It all made Harry's brain swim with nausea. Finally his weary eyes settled on the only other person in the room who sat in one of the three chairs to his left. Harry couldn't help it, his heart lodged into his throat.

Draco Malfoy was sitting there, the way he sat looked too stiff for comfort. Dressed in a grey shirt and khaki trousers, Harry nearly smiled at the sight of Malfoy dressing like a normal twenty-two year old lad. But Harry couldn't find that smile. The slightly purple bags under Malfoy's eyes stood out due to his alabaster complexion. Like bruises placed beneath his eyes from days worth of sleepless nights. Draco's grey eyes seemed duller, white-blond hair deshelved and wild. He looked awful, to say the least. Although when Harry looked into those silver shards of glass that were Malfoy's eyes, he couldn't deny it when his heart stuttered and stammered.

"Malfoy you look like shit." Harry choked out with a grin, trying to lighten the mood that seemed to hang around the whole room. His own voice shocked him with it's raspy tone. Scratching like gravel.

"I do huh?" Malfoy chuckled, a grin tugging at hus lips, "Potter, you say I look like shit - yet you're the bloody git in a hospital bed. Not to mention the fool who ran straight at a wizard who already had a killing curse on his tongue and aiming for you.". Harry could tell Malfoy was trying to joke around, trying to hide how he truly felt. Like the prat usually did.

But his eyes quickly gave him away. They said all the words Draco was trying to hide. That it had genuinely scared him. He stood stiffly, stretching with a groan. Harry heard several vertibrate pop as Malfoy put his arms high above his head, sighing in relief. Harry was sure that if he did that he'd break something. Or throw up maybe. But Malfoy seemed to be in utter ecstasy, Harry assumed he hadn't done so much standing since they'd originally arrived.

Everything started coming back to him in bits and pieces. He and Malfoy had been under cover, on Auror business. They'd been in deep too. They'd been assigned to bring in some former Death Eaters who'd been causing a lot of issues. When Shacklebolt had originally told them about the case, Harry would have to be blind to miss the tensing of Malfoy's shoulders, or the flick of silver eyes to his left forearm. Harry knew this wouldn't be east for his partner.

But something had went wrong. One of their answers hadn't lined up. Something they'd told one of the Death Eaters had set them off, next thing he knew curses were flying. Hexes were being sent through the air. The last thing Harry could remember was a Crucio curse wracking his entire body. Sending white hot pain shooting from behind his eyes. It felt like every single nerve was being torn, muscles wripped to shreds, bones shattered to dust. It was the most excruiciating pain he'd ever been through.

Malfoy had Stupefyed the wizard who'd casted the curse, and Harry was relieved that the pain stopped. But there was still a throbbing in his whole body. He suddenly felt so very tired. As if sleep had evaded him for months, and the exhaustion suddenly hit him. And Harry wanted nothing more than to curl into sleep's sweet embrace. White dots had begun to dance behind his eyes when Malfoy came into his line of vision. The last thing Harry had seen before his world had went black, were those grey eyes. And he could've swore he saw flecks of murky blue within the storm of silver. Malfoy had placed Harry's head into his lap, hands brushing against his jaw in a soothing manner. There was a pleading looking his eyes and Harry could've swore Malfoy was begging him not to leave.

"Potter?" When Harry snapped back from within his own mind, Draco was closer. He hadn't even noticed the bed dipping with the added weight. That look was on his face again. Worry and fear painting across his features clearly, Harry was almost shocked he wasn't trying to hide everything behind the mask he wore so well. "Are you alright? Do you need a medi-wizard?".

"I'm fine. Everything just kind of came back." Harry's eyebrows crinkled up in confusion as he wracked his brain. "We got discoverer didn't we?" Malfoy nodded slowly, face solemn. "Did we get caught because of me?" Harry spoke slowly, the words he was saying weighing down his tongue like iron.

"There's no way to prove that Potter.".

Before he could catch them, hot tears were welling up in his eyes. His emotions had always been able to just take control. Wasn't it suppose to be the other way around - wasn't Harry suppose to be in complete control, of himself at the least? Because it seemed quite the opposite. Harry swallowed the lump that had found it's way into his throat. He tried his best to be subtle when wiping the wet streams from his cheeks, to no avail. Malfoy noticed. The way his eyes softened but his body stiffened, like his heart told him one thing and his mind said another.

"You're not going to start crying on me are you? Because I'm a healer yes, but I'm not ready for something like that." Malfoy huffed, despite the words that made him seem like an arsehole - he extended his finger tips forward and touched Harry's as if to comfort him. Harry's heart flipped from within his chest, another reaction he seemed to have no control over much to his own dismay.

"Draco, when I was hit with that Crucio curse... what were you saying to me?" Harry pushed the words past his lips before his own voice silenced him. For the second time that day, Malfoy stiffened a bit.

"I don't have a clue what you're talking about." Draco cleared his throat and averted Harry's gaze suddenly. There was that mask again, and Harry almost regretted saying anything. Because Malfoy was trying to shut him out once more.

Sure at first they hadn't been that close. Hell, they'd still been trying to rip each others throats out with their teeth when Shacklebolt assigned them as partners. Spitting acidic words and insults every second they spent together. But Kingsley Shacklebolt had refused to assign either men new partners. Saying something along the lines of 'The two of you must put away your childish fights and bickering. No one in this world will understands you more than the other.'. Back then, Harry hadn't understood what he'd meant. But as time passed, it started making sense.

When he and Ginny had split, despite it being in mutual terms, Malfoy had let Harry drink himself into a stupor then helped him get home safe. And when his partner's father passed - even though Harry had hated Lucius Malfoy with fiery passion - he'd attended the funeral then took Malfoy to a bar. Harry had returned the favour of a hangover potion and a glass of water, gladly. And when they both had nightmares, courtesy of the war they'd been through when they were kids, Draco would join Harry at his flat. They'd sit on their on ends of Harry's sofa and watch muggle movies. Eventually they'd both take a dreamless sleep potion and fall asleep. On separate sides of the couch with their legs still intertwined.

On rare occasions, Malfoy would allow Harry in. They'd sit together at a pub, or at Harry's kitchen table and talk. Sometimes about every day things, and sometimes the topic of the war would come up. Malfoy knew what it felt like to be forced into something without having even a shred of choice.

"Malfoy, I know when you're lying to me. Being your partner for four years has taught me that much.". The corners of Malfoy's lips turned up in the inkling of a smile, silver eyes shining in the setting sunlight that washed through the window.

"I um.. I was crying. I was scared. I'd thought the Avada Kedavra curse had already hit you. You were laying there, writhing in pain. I begged everything I knew to let you stay. Any higher being that existed. I begged you not to go." Malfoy coughed, clearing his throat a few times. He wouldn't look at Harry, again. And the flush of red across his cheeks wasn't exactly hidden. Harry didn't know what to say. He'd never heard Draco Malfoy beg for anything.

Malfoy had cried, he'd been genuinely upset at thought of losing him. He knew they were closer now. Maybe even friends. But he hadn't quite realized Draco cared that much.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy has a soft side." Harry couldn't help the laughter that trickled out. It wasn't a shock that Draco could be sweet. When Harry's nightmares were especially hellish, Malfoy would sit up late with him and let him cry. So it was more of a light teasing than a realization.

"Don't let anyone know. I have a reputation you know." The weird feeling that had settled over the room instantly vanished the moment Draco looked up and gave this sly grin. And in that moment all Harry wanted was to cup his face and kiss the living daylights out of the blond in front of him.

It wasn't like Harry hadn't thought of these feelings before. Sure he'd pushed them down when he was younger. He had more important things to deal with, his budding sexuality could wait. Not to mention Malfoy had been a prat.

But about two and a half years into their partnership, Harry gave up trying to pretend he didn't want to kiss Draco. Or spoon with him for hours. But it had never been this persistent. Like a constant voice in the back of his skull, screaming 'kiss him you prat!' over and over again. Maybe for once, even if it's only once because Malfoy would probably break his nose afterwards, he'd listen.

Before Harry's better judgement could stop him, he was leaning in and cupping Draco's sharp jawline - pressing their lips together. It was a quick thing. Over before it had even begun. Because if Malfoy was going to punch him in the face, Harry wanted to at least get one kiss.

But instead of a fist, a curse, or a hex - Draco pulled Harry back into another kiss. This time more pleasant and passionate. It was gentle, soft lips and sweet caresses of Draco's tongue. Harry was pleasantly surprised to taste cinnamon, mint, and something entirely Draco. When they pulled back again, Harry couldn't hide his flustered face. The blush that crept onto his skin was probably the colour of a Christmas light. It spread across his cheeks, neck, and ears like wildfire. Draco scooted closer, now sitting beside him in the bed instead of in front of him, leg pressed against Harry's.

"Potter, don't ever scare me like that again. Don't be so reckless, you git." Draco rested his head on Harry's shoulder, the smile in his voice obvious. Harry pulled Draco closer, moving to lay down in the surprisingly large bed he'd been placed in at St. Mungo's.

"I'll try okay? I can't promise because this job is never a safe one. But I can promise to stay by your side. I mean. Um." Harry stammered over his words, really wanting to not fuck this - whatever this was - up. Malfoy laughed from where he was laying against his chest.

"Potter, stop rambling on like a prat. Just stay beside me okay? And next time you kiss me, you better not pull away like that." Draco poked a finger at Harry's ribs gently, chuckling. It was jokes like this that made it easy to be around Draco. Because he didn't treat Harry like the Boy Who Lived or any of that rubbish. He just saw him as Harry. And he still made playful jokes, an occasional snarky comment. He was still Draco, minus the pureblood-I'm-better-than-everyone attitude. Harry could live without that.

"Okay. I promise you git." Harry laughed too, arms wrapping around Malfoy's waiste. He was more than thankful Malfoy wasn't demanding he put a label on whatever this was. Instead the blond simply curled against him, a content smile on his face as his eyes fluttered shut. Within minutes he was asleep, face serene as blond lashes tickled his cheeks. Whatever this was, Harry couldn't lie even if he wanted to, he liked it a lot. Maybe even loved it.

But his life was such a wreck, and things never exactly happened how he wanted them to. He'd been through absolute hell since his eleventh birthday, and now things were just starting to make sense. So even if eventually this was ruined in a blaze of fire, Harry wanted it to last as long as it could.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please, constructive criticism is highly appreciated. If anyone is interested in the idea of me making this into an actual story, let me know.


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